Sensory and motor maximum nerve conduction velocity in the peripheral and central nervous system of the beagle dog.

Sensory maximum nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and motor MNCV were monitored in altogether 14 beagle dogs anaesthetized with pentobarbital. Sensory MNCV was determined by averaging cortically evoked potentials from somatosensory area I (SS I) in response to repeated electrical stimulation of digital paw pads, tibial nerve at calcaneus or sciatic nerve at trochanter. Sensory MNCV determined from paw to tibial nerve at calcaneus was 53 m/sec, from tibial nerve at calcaneus to sciatic nerve at trochanter 64 m/sec and from sciatic nerve at trochanter to crotex SS I 53 m/sec. Motor peripheral MNCV determined in the customary way from sciatic nerve at trochanter to tibial nerve at calcaneus was 68 m/sec and distal latency 3.6 msec. Motor central MNCV from motor cortex to the sciatic nerve at the trochanter in 5 unanaesthetized dogs was 57 m/sec. These testing procedures serve for quantitative assessment of possible impairment of impulse transmission in the central and peripheral sensory and motor pathway of beagle dogs used in routine toxicity studies.